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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Number of Cable Pioneers swells by 19
April 8, 2013 1:20 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsThe Cable TV Pioneers Organization will induct the new Class of 2013 at its 47th Annual Banquet in Washington, D.C. The members of the new class hail from coast-to-coast and are involved in the many different areas of the cable television industry for over 20 years.
Envivio bows multi-screen server
April 8, 2013 1:08 pm | by Brian Santo | Products | CommentsThe Halo Experience Server facilitates time-shifted TV and network DVR, targeted advertisement insertion, social and personalized TV. Operators deploying the system will be able to let viewers to pause and rewind live streams, record programs and watch them on any other device, or receive personalized ads based on their profile.
Ericsson to acquire Microsoft Mediaroom
April 8, 2013 12:53 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsMicrosoft will invest its full attention on the Xbox as a vehicle for its consumer TV strategy. Ericsson, meanwhile, further solidifies its position in the IPTV market, picking up ongoing support for Mediaroom customers, including AT&T (U-verse), Deutsche Telekom (Entertain), Telefonica, Telus (Optik TV), and Swisscom.
Facebook barges into Google turf
April 5, 2013 2:41 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFacebook Home, the new application that takes over the front screen of a smartphone, is a bit of a corporate home invasion. Facebook is essentially moving into Google's turf, taking advantage of software the search giant and competitor created.
Digital Rapids adds Netflix preset
April 5, 2013 2:36 pm | by Brian Santo | Products | CommentsDigital Rapids is making available presets for its media transformation and workflow solutions designed specifically to make it easier for suppliers to prepare their content for streaming on Netflix. The Netflix presets will be available for the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager 2.0.
Harmonic adopts Aspera’s fast transfer tech
April 5, 2013 2:26 pm | by Brian Santo | Products | CommentsHarmonic has integrated Aspera’s fasp technology in its Media Applications Server (MAS). The combined solution allows complex workflows to be orchestrated and enforced, allowing quick and efficient routing of content to the intended destination, the two companies explained.
Internet from lamps one step closer
April 5, 2013 2:20 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsTransmitting data using simple LEDs is still a research technology, but it took another step closer to practical implementation when the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute used off-the-shelf LED room lights for data transmission with data rates up to 800 Mbps in one laboratory experiment.
Motorola sets practical demos of HEVC
April 5, 2013 2:09 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsOne of Motorola’s demos next week will feature a real-time HEVC encoder delivering streaming content to a Google Nexus 10 tablet for real-time decoding and playback, the company said. A second demo will showcase real-time HEVC HTTP live streaming to an Apple iPad (4th generation). A third will show an IP set-top box decoding HEVC.
Triveni Digital goes independent
April 5, 2013 2:04 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsThe former LG Electronics R&D lab was purchased by a group of employees led by company president Mark Simpson. Triveni Digital now provides a variety of systems that enable television service products for program guide and metadata management, data broadcasting, and video quality assurance.
Rdio launches Vdio for TV, movies
April 4, 2013 2:33 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsRdio, the music streaming service started by a co-founder of Skype, is getting into video. New and current subscribers of a $10-a-month unlimited music plan from Rdio will get $25 to spend in the new digital store for video, called Vdio.
Simple.TV draws $5M in venture money
April 4, 2013 2:27 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsReally Simple Software said it closed $5 million in Series A funding from New World Ventures. Simple.TV is based on a DVR that streams both live and recorded TV shows to tablets, phones, or connected TVs. The system is designed for consumers looking to supplement over-the-air (OTA) broadcast TV with over the top (OTT) services such as Netflix and Hulu.
Telenor Sweden readies for multi-screen
April 4, 2013 2:21 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsTelenor Sweden will deploy Ericsson Multiscreen TV solution for its customers, enabling it to deliver content to a wide range of connected devices. Separately, Ericsson will be showing its LTE video delivery system at the NAB Show next week.
SCTE outlines CALM Act best practices
April 4, 2013 2:15 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsThe CALM Act requires that the audio level of commercial messages be at the same average loudness as the associated programming content. SCTE 197 provides guidelines for cable operators for recording measured loudness and loudness metadata value.
Midcontinent launches whole home service
April 4, 2013 1:59 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsThe MSO has begun deploying a whole-home service based on TiVo equipment and technology. It will roll out the service in Rapid City and the Northern Black Hills area in South Dakota, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota and the remaining South Dakota markets in the coming months.
BCI buying James Cable
April 4, 2013 1:54 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsThe company formed by former executives from Bresnan Communications is buying James Cable. The value of the purchase of James Cable was not disclosed, but could be in the neighborhood of $150 million. The move follows BCI’s purchase of the Allegiance cable systems in January.
